Not in Love
by lordofthepringles
Summary: Reid and Katie were most definitely not in love...yet. Luke/Reid Chris/Katie Katie/Reid
1. Chapter 1

Reid was stalking around the kitchen muttering under his breath.

"What was that, Reid?"

Reid stopped pacing and looked up to see Katie staring at him with an amused look on her face.

"Nothing, Katie."

"I believe the words, I'm not in love, was the phrase do jour."

"Well, I'm not in love."

"If you have to say it that many times and wear a hole in my kitchen floor, you might be in love."

"Oh, this coming from the woman who refuses to acknowledge her feelings for a certain doctor."

"I acknowledge that there is a certain attraction there, but I am not in love."

"Well then we can be not in love together."

Katie just grinned and grabbed the ice cream and two spoons.

As they settled on the couch, Reid grabbed his favorite pillow.

"So how long have you not been in love with Luke?" 

"Don't speak his name in here. This is a Luke free zone. How long have you not been in love with Doogie Hughes? I don't see how ice cream is supposed to help anyways."

"There is something about ice cream that has the power to comfort."

"I'd rather have a sandwich."

"You and your damn sandwiches. Oral fixation, much?"

"There is nothing wrong with my love of sandwiches. And even if it is wrong, I don't want to be right."

Reid stood up and walked back into the kitchen. He started making his sandwich methodically.

It felt good like he was performing surgery and he was in the moment, with nothing other than this moment and what he was doing on his brain.

"You should just tell him how you feel."

"You think I should call Luke up and tell him, how much I'm not in love with him?"

"I think you should just sit down and talk to him. Clear the air; communicate for once, instead of jumping to conclusions. Lord knows you two just need some alone time with no interruptions or interferences."

"It doesn't matter, Katie. Even if we do sit down and talk, nothing is going to change. I can't have a relationship with him and keep my job at Memorial. I'm a doctor that is all I've ever been or known. I can't risk all of that on a relationship with someone who still may or may not love his ex. I think instead, I am just going to go back to Dallas. That sounds like a better plan to me."

Katie slammed down the carton of ice cream on the coffee table.

"You are such a coward, Reid Oliver."

"You know, that's the second time today I've been called that. What makes me such a coward?" 

"You are in love with, Luke. We both know it. I know that you have never really experienced this before, but being in love is a good thing. Being in love makes you do some weird things. Like eating ginormous sandwiches bigger than your head, it makes you willing to let that person be happy, even if it causes you heartbreak in the process, it makes you feel complete, and like the piece that was missing for so long is finally there. And you are willing to throw that all away, because you're scared. So you go back to Dallas and jump back into work. How long until you're numb enough to not remember the feeling of being with him? Or the way he smiled at you or made you laugh when no one else could? If you run away from this Reid, I'm afraid you will never find love like that again. You'll spend the rest of your life, wondering what if, and instead of having a shot at a real relationship with the only man you've ever loved, you'll have pillows to keep your warm at night. You'll have surgeries and brains, but you won't have love. That is why you are a coward."

"And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you going to spend the rest of your life pining for Brad, or are you going to risk your heart again?"

"This isn't about me, Reid."

"Yes it is, Katie. I will admit that yes, maybe I am a coward. I've never been in love before. I've never known anything like this feeling before. But you, you have felt this before. You know what you are getting into. You know the risks, and you took that chance many times before. What is different about this time? Was it because Brad died? Death doesn't diminish the love you shared. And finding love again doesn't mean you loved him any less. In fact, I think Brad would want you to move on. If he loved you half as much as you loved him, there is no way he'd want you to sit around for the rest of your life and pine after him. He wouldn't want you lonely and afraid to trust your heart again."

Katie was weeping,

"I know, Reid. But, I can't just turn off my feelings for Brad. I will love him until I die. And how is that fair to Chris?"

"I'm sure Chris would understand. And from what I know from firsthand experience, it's possible to love more than two people. I don't understand the heart, but its capacity to love is amazing."

"When did you get so good at advice?"

"I learned from the best."

Reid and Katie grinned at each other.

Just then Katie's phone rang.

Katie went into her bedroom.

Reid stared at his phone wondering if he should call Luke.

Katie came back into the kitchen beaming,

"What's with the Cheshire cat grin?"

"That was Chris. I finally accepted a date with him."

"Good for you, Katie."

She picked up Reid's phone then,

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

_Dear Luke, I need to see you right away. Please meet me at Katie's house. _

"Don't you dare send that, Katie! I mean it!"

"Oops, I accidentally hit send."

"You're a bitch."

"You know you love me."

"No, I just like everyone else less."

Katie laughed and handed the phone back to Reid.

They didn't even have to wait a full minute,

_I'll be there in ten._

Katie grabbed her coat and purse then,

"I'll be back later."

"He's not even going to pick you up?"

"He's at Tom and Margo's. They have Jacob for the day. I'm meeting them for dinner, and then we're going to a movie."

"Good luck, Katie."

"You too, Reid."

With that Katie was out the door.

Reid went to work on making a second sandwich.

If Katie promised Luke a sandwich that is what he was going to get.  
Ten minutes later there was a knock on the door.

Reid rubbed his hands on his jeans, suddenly nervous with butterflies in his stomach.

"Here goes nothing."

Reid opened the door to Luke and his future.


	2. Chapter 2

Reid opened the door to see Luke standing there in jeans and a v neck t-shirt.

Reid's only thought was how much he'd like to rip them off and have his way with Luke.

Instead he stepped back into the house and invited Luke inside.

"Before you get all weepy, I should probably inform you that Katie is the one who sent you the text."

"So you don't want me here?"

"That's not what I meant, but for some reason I can't not tell you the truth."

"Honesty is always good, Reid."

Luke looked at him with those giant brown puppy dog eyes and Reid forgot what he had been trying to say.

They looked at each other for a few seconds before Luke cleared his throat,

"So why did Katie invite me over, then?"

"She thinks we need to talk or something."

"About?"

"You know what, this was a bad idea. You can go ahead and just forget this ever happened."

Reid strode to the door and opened it.

Luke just took his coat off,

"I agree with Katie. We do need to talk."

Reid sighed and closed the door.

He sat on the edge of the couch cushion, waiting to hear what Luke had to say,

"I had a long talk with my dad today about a lot of things. But mostly I sat and complained about you choosing the hospital over me. And while I was looking for sympathy, I got a reality check. He reminded me of all the times I was all about Noah and his wants and needs. I never stopped to think about your feelings in the entire mess. I knew you liked me and wanted me, but I never stopped to actually ask you how you felt when I constantly made everything about me and Noah. "

Luke stopped trailed off as he watched Reid trying to process everything.

"You're not saying anything, Reid."

"I generally find it's rude to interrupt someone when they're talking, Luke."

Luke cracked a grin at this.

Reid still had his jokes, even though he felt his insides turn to mush. Luke actually did care, and that alone scared the hell out of him.

"So I guess what I'm trying to say Reid is that I'm sorry. I never gave you a reason to pick me. I honestly did not mean to string you along or make you feel like you were second best. I was just so damn confused and couldn't see past what I was thinking and feeling. "

Luke finished and put his hands on his lap, waiting for Reid to finally say something.

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea, here, Luke. I'm not in love with you."

Luke looked extremely confused and a bit hurt.

"I mean, it's not because I'm in love with you. God, I'm screwing this up. Okay, here's the thing. Katie and I talked today and she made me realize that while being a doctor is my life, it's not all that I am. And she convinced me to not give up on a chance at love. So my plan is to resign tomorrow, and give us a shot, if that is what you still want."

"You can't do that, Reid."

"What, why the hell not?"

"Because I plan on resigning from the board, not that I'm in love with you or anything, either."

Luke and Reid looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Luke was suddenly next to Reid on the couch and they were kissing. They were still kissing when Katie came home.

She just rolled her eyes and snuck past them to her bedroom.

She got a text,

_Thanks for agreeing to go out with me tonight. I had a great time._

She grinned and put Jacob down for the night, thinking of the laughter and smiles, and the amazing bone melting kiss she had received a few minutes earlier.

"Well Jacob, looks like your uncle Reid and I are not in love, but one day very soon, I have a feeling we could be."


End file.
